[File Photo]

Fiji could be caught off guard by sudden foreign tariffs, raising concerns for local businesses, says Standing Committee member Rinesh Sharma.

At a standing committee hearing, Sharma questioned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on whether Fiji’s diplomatic missions are acting as the first line of defense, providing early warnings when foreign governments consider trade measures.

Sharma says unexpected tariffs could disrupt trade and impact jobs across the economy.

“When a nation slaps Fiji with tariffs, where does this go wrong for Fiji? Was it because of the mission, they were not updated, or were they supposed to be the negotiating stakeholders, the first frontline ones to negotiate or know what’s happening and update the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the government?”

Director of Multilateral Affairs Anare Leweniqila responded that Fiji had no prior notice of recent tariff measures imposed by the United States.

“It comes down to negotiation. I think we will not have any prior information in terms of our external trade on any notification on any implementation of any trade measure by the US. I think the measure by the US caught everybody by surprise, but I think it only comes down to negotiation with the US in terms of the areas that they have identified.”

Leweniqila adds that the issue is being addressed through negotiations led by the Ministry.

I think the onus is on us to protect our interests in terms of looking at the tariff measure that has been applied, and also just to negotiate with the US in terms of the level of tariff that we can both agree on in terms of a win-win situation.

He also confirms that responsibility for external trade has recently been transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to improve coordination and response to trade-related issues.

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